If the salad is contaminated then washing will not do anything other than spread the contamination unless you use soap. Somehow soapy salad just does not sounds tasty

Devil's advocate question:
How do we know that of any produce we buy? Has it been contaminated or not before we use it for the first time? I just had tomatoes tonight on my tacos, so they were eaten uncooked. I did not use soap to wash them off, a quick rinse under cold water was all they received.
So, would I have been better off not rinsing them at all, just in case?
At least in YT's case it was "fresh" uncooked chicken as the possible contaminant. Which is probably why he asked in the first place...

Rinsing food under water does nothing more then get rid of dust and other solids that may be on the food. It does absolutely nothing for getting rid of germs or other nasties like that.

There have been many cases of produce that was mishandled and then packaged and people got sick from it. The people that got sick very possibly washed it first. That did nothing to keep them from getting sick.

Chicken can carry salmonella. If that comes in contact with something that goes into your mouth then you can get very sick.

Improperly "washing" does nothing at all, except for maybe spreading contaminates like you said. So why bother? Who here washes their veggies in SOAP and water? Anyone???
And while chicken may carry salmonella, it doesn't always. Just like a raw egg may or may not.

I know it's been discussed here before about what has been acceptable in the past and what is actually correct nowadays, or even moreso in restaurants, in the preparation of food, but I think a quick rinse will get rid of surface contaminants. I had a butcher tell me that before, also. I doubted him at the time. Now I'm not so sure.
My veggies shall see no soap, scented or otherwise

I wash and rub or scrub all vegetables before I use them. I may not be getting rid of e.coli (sp?) or salmonella but I think I'm getting rid of the dirt and anything nasty that could have been on the hands that touched them before I bought them..I even rinse mushrooms. I rinse the heck out of chicken before i cook it. Some of the chefs on TV gross me out the way they clean veggies, esp Rachel Ray.
I dont use soap

I never use soap when cleaning food, as soap (even trace amounts) can lead to diahrea and vomiting at least as bad as some of the food poisonings.

I had to take a Food Safe course once for a job I was doing, and one of the things they spoke of aside from germs was contamination from chemicals. There were some rules of thumb that were hammered home:

1. Never store cleaners or other non-food items above foods. If they leak, you don't want them getting into the food.

2. Never store anything but food in a container that originally stored food. That way no one can mistakenly eat something deadly, thinking it was food simply because of the package.

3. If you store any chemical in a container other than its original package, label it clearly on all sides as poisonous, or at least non-edible.